- BabyTech® Awards" to recognize products and services that use technology to ease the burden of childcare and childcare.
- The BabyTech® Awards, now in its seventh year, is accepting entries in 13 categories (deadline is December 9).
- At the Childcare Expo 2025 on November 20, the six products that passed the first screening related to childcare will be introduced in a dialogue with a nurturing nest teacher!
At the venue of the Childcare Expo 2025 in Hamamatsucho, Tokyo, on November 20, 2025,BabyTech® Awards 2025-26The BabyTech® Awards, which recognize outstanding products and services that create a sense of comfort in the lives of adults around children by using technology to ease the burden of childcare and childcare. The BabyTech® Awards recognize outstanding products and services that reduce the burden of childcare and childcare workplaces through the power of technology and create a sense of comfort in the lives and feelings of adults around children, and Mr. Yoshihiro Sotate, a lecturer at Yamamura Gakuen Junior College, who is involved in the training of childcare professionals and has a perspective on the field of education and childcare, were invited to introduce the six products that had already passed the preliminary screening and discuss the current state and future of childcare ICT.
Review of items that passed the first screening in the form of an interview with a nesting teacher who trains childcare professionals.
Normally, we would hold the awards ceremony here, but this time we decided to change it up a bit," said Nagata, BabyTech® Awards Executive Committee Chairperson.
In previous years, the BabyTech® Awards have been held in the form of an awards ceremony to announce the winning products. This year, however, the style has been changed to a dialogue style to provide an opportunity for those interested in childcare and childcare ICT attending the Childcare Expo to learn more about the products that have passed the preliminary screening.
I am pleased to have Dr. Yoshihiro Nodate, one of the judges of the BabyTech® Awards, as my guest this time to introduce the products with a professional viewpoint," he said.
Dr. Nusutate has practical experience as a nursery teacher and kindergarten teacher, and is also involved in research on developmental support and childcare ICT. Currently, she is a lecturer at Yamamura Gakuen Junior College, Department of Children's Studies, where she has both a childcare training and field research perspective.
The 7th Annual BabyTech® Awards 2025-26 is now accepting entries in 13 categories! (Deadline is 12/9)
BabyTech is a term coined by combining the words "baby" and "technology. The target audience includes not only the babies themselves, but also all adults involved in childcare and childcare, nursery school teachers, kindergarten teachers, medical and welfare personnel, and guardians.
However, it is very difficult to find truly useful products by ourselves in the actual busy childcare and childcare settings. There are many factors to consider, such as safety, practicality, and on-site adaptability. That is why we created the BabyTech® Awards," says Nagata. "We wanted to create a place where more people could learn about products and services that can be used with peace of mind by evaluating them responsibly from an expert's point of view.
The BabyTech® Awards have been held for the seventh time this year, and a total of more than 200 products have been judged so far. 13 categories (2 new categories, "Developmental Support Tools" and "Social Impact" have been added to the existing categories such as "Breastfeeding and Diet," "Children's Learning," and "Pregnancy and Pregnancy") are open for submissions. The deadline is December 9.
Six products passed the initial screening in three childcare-related categories. A deep look into their appeal and potential!
Introduced at the event were six products related to childcare that passed the initial screening. The divisions are the following three related to childcare. Let's take a look at the contents right away!
"Noon Sleep Watch."
- Body movement sensor to watch over babies during sleep (Itsukushi Co., Ltd.)
- Body movement sensor for infants Baby Alarm E-202 (Sea Star Corporation)
DX-ization of preschools (childcare ICT)"
- WEL-KIDS (WEL-KIDS Co., Ltd.)
- KatagrMa Engage, Inc.
The New Learning."
- English Debut Box (Bilingual Baby Co., Ltd.)
- Touch Tech (People Inc.)
Body movement sensor to watch over babies during sleep (Itsukushi Co., Ltd.)
Body movement sensor detects body movement and body posture during nap. To install, simply insert it into the baby's diaper. The small size and rechargeable battery means that there is no risk of accidental ingestion of batteries or other substances. When the sensor detects the cessation of body movement, it is designed with a two-stage structure: first, it vibrates the main unit to encourage spontaneous recovery, and if there is still no response, an alarm is triggered.
long rice fieldThe fact that it is rechargeable without the risk of accidental ingestion of dry-cell batteries and that it is convenient to carry seems to make it easy to introduce in the field."
nesting teacherWatching over a child during a nap is one of the most nerve-wracking experiences for a childcare worker, and the uncertainty of not knowing whether the child is moving or not when he/she is asleep is always present. This is not just a tool for watching over the child, but an item that creates a sense of security.
Body movement sensor for infants Baby Alarm E-202 (Sea Star Corporation)
Developed to prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and accidents during sleep, this is a medical device class I high-precision body movement sensor that provides an audio stimulus when there is no body movement for 20 seconds or more to encourage the baby to resume breathing.
long rice fieldIn fact, there was a case in which a one-month-old infant was saved by an alarm from this device, and the case will be reported at a medical conference in the near future. I believe that just the fact that the preschool has introduced such a product will give parents peace of mind.
nesting teacherYes, it is. The great thing about this alarm is that it is affordable (5,478 yen including tax on the official website) while having such high performance. The fact that it's so easy to take in is also very attractive!"
WEL-KIDS (WEL-KIDS Co., Ltd.)
The third system introduced, "WEL-KIDS," supports daily operations in busy childcare settings. It features an intuitive interface that allows users to move through tasks from left to right as they go about their day at the center, eliminating the need to switch between multiple menus. Important information is automatically highlighted in color, making it difficult to miss notifications.
nesting teacherDigital native students are very good at these tools. They can set up color schemes and customize them to make them pretty. I think it is almost a matter of course for them to have these tools. You could say that this is one of the criteria for choosing a place of employment.
long rice fieldThe purpose of introducing the system is often thought to be to improve business efficiency, but our ultimate goal is to "regain time to spend with children. We want to make sure we don't lose sight of this.
KatagrMa Engage, Inc.
This ICT service enables centralized management of staffing and work request coordination across multiple preschools. By combining retirement requests, transfer requests, intention surveys through questionnaires, and historical management of staffing changes into a single system, the service supports highly transparent and convincing staffing decisions. Another important feature of this service is that it can automatically check the legal standards and additional allowances for each reassignment.
long rice fieldThe system is designed to reduce the mismatch between staffing requests and actual assignments, which tends to occur. Also, by using this kind of system, the mismatch between staff's requests and actual assignments, which tends to occur, is less likely to occur, leading to the continuation of work.
nesting teacherWhen talking with the director or human resource manager, some staff members tend to be too accommodating or are unable to express their wishes well. In such cases, it is easy to express your honest feelings when you are talking to a system partner. The assignment also has a great impact on the motivation of the staff.
English Debut Box (Bilingual Baby Co., Ltd.)
This is a teaching material that allows children to learn 48 English phonemes mainly through sound-emitting picture books without using a screen. It features a design that emphasizes sensory stimulation, such as the texture of the paper, the action of pressing buttons, and the relationship between pictures and sounds, creating a natural dialogue between parents and children. Even if parents or caregivers are not confident in English, they can have their children listen to native English voices.
long rice fieldWhen you actually touch it, the sound is really clear. I heard that Bilingual Baby was very particular about the sound. We would like all participants to actually experience it at our exhibition booth on the 5th floor. It also includes books for different levels of English, so I would say it is a tool that allows parents and children to enjoy English together."
nesting teacherI thought it would be very appealing to expose children to the English sound during their sensitive childhood years. I thought it was very appealing to be able to experience the English sound at such an impressionable age.
Touch Tech (People Inc.)
People Inc. is the first company to release "Touch Tech," a digital educational material that uses an iPad and a pen that reproduces over 300 different tactile sensations. The "Touch Touch TECH" is the first digital educational material from People Inc. that uses an iPad and an uplifting pen to reproduce more than 300 different tactile sensations. It allows users to safely experience water, mud, sand, blades, and other sensations that would be difficult to experience in real life due to dangers and hygiene issues.
nesting teacherFirst of all, I would like to say that the point of view, or rather the idea itself, is very interesting! I actually tried touching it at the exhibition booth, and I think our students would love this kind of thing. The fact that they can "touch" it is also very appealing, and I see potential applications in the education of children with developmental disabilities and those with hearing impairments.
long rice fieldThe tactile aspect seems to go well with inclusive and digital education. We hope that everyone will visit our booth on the 5th floor and experience for themselves.
Technology is a means to an end; the goal is to create "time to face the child.
The six products introduced so far have a common perspective. That is, they are not "technology for convenience or efficiency," but rather "technology to support the time and emotions of childcare.
Technology is a means, not an end. The goal is not efficiency itself, but whether or not we can use the time created by technology to spend with children. I think it is important to be able to achieve this," says Nagata.
It is important to build a relationship with children while using ICT," concluded Dr. Suhtate.
BabyTech® Awards 2025-26 is now accepting entries in 13 categories! (Deadline is 12/9)
Noon-sleep monitoring, ICT, tactile experiences, language learning, and staffing - these are all themes that are deeply connected to the "burdens" and "worries" felt daily in childcare and childcare settings. All of these themes are deeply connected to the "burdens" and "worries" felt daily in childcare and childcare settings.
The 7th BabyTech® Awards will be held on December 9, 2012, and the deadline for entries is December 9. The deadline for submitting entries for this year's seventh annual BabyTech® Awards is December 9.
The first step in changing the future of childcare and childcare begins with giving shape to our thoughts. The next challenge may be taken by you, the readers of this article.
The exhibition booths on the 5th floor were also very successful!
Finally, a brief look at the exhibition booths on the 5th floor.
Many people, including those in the childcare industry, visited the exhibition booth where they could hear about and touch the six items that passed the preliminary screening introduced this time.
Touch Tech" lets you experience 300 different tactile sensations with a special pen. You can enjoy the tactile sensation of chopping cabbage, the sound of insect wings, and the sensation of driving a car through a puddle of water with a clunk, with both touch and sound.
The "English Debut Box" is a book with cute illustrations and great clear sound quality. There is a difference in the feel of the illustration part, and parents and children will enjoy this educational material together.
Baby Alarm, which has won awards every year for its high performance and reasonable pricing, and "wel-kids," a system for nursery schools that supports busy nursery staff, also attracted a lot of interest.
You can apply for the BabyTech® Awards for any product that has been released in the past or is scheduled to be released in the future. Products and services that are already available and will be available by March 31, 2026 are eligible.
We look forward to receiving your application for BabyTech® Awards2025-26!
